Egg tray and turning mechanism



' H. v. FLICKINGER. EGG TRAY AND TURNING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-13.1919.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

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nnrrnn STATES PATENT ornrcn HERSCHEL V. FLICKINGER, 0F BUCYRUS, OHIO.

EGG TRAY AND TURNING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Application filed February 13, 1919. Serial No. 276,788.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hnnsonnn V. FLICK- INGER, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bucyrus, in the county of Crawford and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg Trays andTurning Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved egg tray and turning mechanism forincubators and has as its primary object to provide a tray soconstructed that the eggs contained within the tray may be mechanicallyturned each time the tray is withdrawn from the incubator to be turnedend for end in the usual manner and again fitted within the incubator.

The invention has as a further object to provide a construction whereinthe tray may, when desired, be slidably moved into or out of theincubator without effecting the turn. ing of the eggs within the tray.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a tray whichwill be characterized by simplicity as well as a construction of suchnature that the tray and associated mechanism may be readily installedin incubators of conventional type.

, Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter. 'In the drawingsFigure 1 is a front elevation showing a conventional type of incubatorequipped with my improved tray and associated mechanism, the door of theincubator being removed and parts being broken away,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the egg tray in detail, the traybeing inverted,

Fig. 3 is a. detail perspective view showing the socket and rack bar. ofthe turning mechanism disassembled,

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary elevation showing the manner in which the rackbar is adapted to coact with the pinions upon the turning rollers of thetray, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing one of the rollers in detail.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I have, in Fig. 1,conventionally shown an incubator at 10. Within the hatching chamber ofthis incubator are arranged the usual horizontal cleats 1 1 and '12respectively for slidably supporting an includes an oblong tray body orframe co1n-- prising end bars 13 joined by side bars 14 Extendingbetween the side bars at thclower side of the fran'ie is a transversebracing strip 15 disposed substantially midway between the ends of thefran'ie. Formed in the lower edges of the side bars at their ends arepairs of alined notches. For convenience, one pair of said notches hasbeen indicated at 16 while the other pair is indicated at 17. Ifdesired, the frame may be braced at its corners by suitable angle platessecured to the side and end bars at their upper edges.

Screwed or otherwise secured to the inner side faces of the end bars 13are bearing plates 18 seating fiat against said bars and journaled upon.these plates is a plurality of horizontally extending parallel turningrollers or members 19 forming the bottom of the tray. The rollers 19 maybe constructed of wood or other approved material and at their ends areequipped with ferrules 20. Embedded in the terminals of the rollers andbeing thus rigidly connected therewith, are aziial trunnions 21 whichare jonrnaled through the plates 18 and are received within suitableopenings in the end bars'l of the tray frame for thus rotatablysupporting the rollers upon the frame. Fixed upon the trunnions atcorresponding ends of the rollers are pinions 22 abutting the adj accntterminals of the rollers and arranged, as particularly shown in Fig. 2,to touch the plane of tl e lower edge of the contiguous end bar of theframe.

Mounted beneath one of the tray supporting cleats of the incubator,preferably the cleat 11, is a socket, shownin detail at the left of Fig.3. This socket comprises an L ngle plate having angular portions 23 and94: respectively and mounted upon the plate is a preferably squaredsocket barrel or sleeve 25 joined at its rear side with the portion 23of theplate by a reduced medial connecting web and abutting at its upperend with the portion 24 0f the plate. The portion of the angle plate isrested flat against the adjacent end wall of the incubator while theportion 24 of said plate abuts the lower edge of the cleat 11 so thatthe angle plate thus fits snugly in the angle between the lower edge ofthe cleat and said end wall. Engaged through the angle plate are screwsor other suitable fastening devices securing the socket to said end wallas well as said cleat. Adjustably supported by the socket is a rack bar28. This rack bar is preferably provided beyond the teeth of the barwith beveled upper edges and preferably integral with the bar at a pointsul stantially midway of its ends is avsquared stem or shank 29 snuglyfitting within the barrel 25. The stem 29 carries a clamp screw 80 whichis slidably received within a suitable slot formed in the lower portionof the barrel at its outer side, the screw being movable to coact withthe barrel for clamping the rack bar 28 in vertically adjusted positionwith respect thereto.

The end bars 13 of the tray frame are, as shown in Fig. 1, adapted toslidably rest upon the cleats 11. and 1:2 of the incubator forsupporting the tray therein and, as will now be observed upon referenceto Fig. 4, the rack bar 28 may be upwardly adjusted to project above theupper edge of the cleat 11 into coacting relation with respect to thepinions 22 upon the rollers 19 of the tray. Consequently, when the trayis slidably removed from the incubator, the pinions will be shifted tosuccessively coact with the rack bar for rotating the rollers 19accordingly, the pair of notches 16 successively receiving the rack barfreely therethrough. The rollers are, of course, spaced apart a properdistance to receive the eggs therebetween resting upon the rollers sothat the eggs will thus be automatically turned c'o incident with theremoval of the tray. However, in order that the tray may be reversed endfor end in the usual m anner and again fitted within the hatchingchamber of the incubator without molesting the adjustment of the rackbar 28, the pair of notches 17 is provided. When the tray is soreversed, it will be seen that these notches will successively receivethe rack bar freely therethrough when the tray may be moved inwardlyupon the cleats 11 and 12 without rotating the rollers 19. Consequently,the eggs having been turned coincident with the removal of the traywill,'since the rollers will not be rotated when the tray is replaced,remain in their turned position. As will be. seen, when the tray is nextremoved to be turned end for end and again fitted within the incubator,turning of the eggs will occur at the time the tray is replaced. Shouldit be desired to shift the tray within the incubator without actuatingthe rollers 19 for turning the eggs, the rack bar 28 may, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 4, be simply adjusted downwardly upon itssupporting socket to inactive position when the teeth of the bar will bedisposed below the plane of the lower edge of the tray so "that the rackbar will be arranged out of the :path of the pinions 22. Furthermore,

for coaction with said pinions whereby the rollers will be rotated whenthe tray is slidably moved within the incubator.

2. In an incubator, the combination of a reversible tray having aplurality of rotatable egg supporting members, means slidably supportingthe tray, and coacting means carried by one end portion of the tray andincubator respectively whereby the members will in one position of thetray be rotated when the tray is slidably moved within the incubator,the means upon the tray being at one end portion thereof only wherebywhen the tray is reversed end for end it may be slidably moved withinthe incubator upon said first mentioned means without rotating saidmembers.

3. In an incubator, an egg tray including a plurality of egg supportingrollers, means slidably supporting the tray, and coacting means carriedby the tray and incubator respectively whereby the rollers will berotated when the tray is slidably moved within the incubator, the meansupon the incubator being adjustable to a position out of the path oftravel of the means upon the tray, and means for securing the meansuponthe incubator in adjusted position.

4. In an incubator, an egg tray including a plurality of rotatable eggsupporting members, rotating means carried by the members adjacent oneend of the tray, means slidably supporting the tray, and meansadjustable upon the incubator to a position projecting within the linesof the tray for coaction with said rotating means whereby the memberswill be turned when the tray is slidably moved within the incubator, the

